Ramadhaan One: From The Light of The Qur'an

Bismillaahir Rahmanir Raheem...

Surah Al Hadid was revealed in Madinah. The Muslims had already spent 4 years there when the Surah Came down. they had gone through a lot, and they were having problems with motivation. Also, they had new converts into Islaam, and some Muslims had become infected with Nifaaq (hypocrisy).

Even though the Surah is Madani, the first 6 Ayahs sound completely Makki. the First Six Ayaahs, are about Allaah, introducing us to His attributes, which are features of the Makki Surahs.

But Allaah reveals these Ayahs to the Muslims at Madinah, knowing that they already know (about Him and His attributes from the Makki Surahs) which means we need to reflect on them yet again. we need to give them thoughts all over again, perhaps they'll find reason to not lose motivation or to get rid of their Nifaaq, perhaps they'll be guided yet again...SubhanAllaah...

To be continued in sha Allaah...

Pre-Ramadhaan: What We Have To Do

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem…

Consider this conversation between the Ustadh and a sister,

Sister says: I want to wear the hijaab, but I can’t. I’m not ready yet.

Ustadh replies: Sister please tell me what that means? What do you mean you’re not ready yet I just wish to understand.

Sister says: I feel like I’m not a good enough person, and if you wear a hijaab everybody starts to think you’re a good person and I want to be who I really am. So when I’m a better person, then I’m going to start wearing the hijaab.

And to this the Ustadh responds, *please pay attention* he says;

“there is not ever going to come a day in your life when you will wake up, and look into the mirror and say “oh I’m a good person today, finally” because that would mean you’re self-righteous, and self-righteous people are the worst kinds of people. You and I will never be “good enough” but we still have to obey Allah. And if you’re convinced that it is something you have to do, then there’s no way you’re going to put it off.

SubhanAllaah. So If we truly accept the Qur’an as guidance and truly believe in it, then we are going to have to change the way we think and the way we make our choices. We are going to have start doing what the Qur’an says and that’s what is going to make us better people, that’s what will protect us from shaytaan and our Nafs making our bad deeds fair-seeming to us, and that’s what will sharpen our understanding of right and wrong and enable us to carry out righteous actions and not otherwise bi idhnillaah.

To be continued in sha Allaah…

Pre-Ramadhaan: Creating the Right Mindset

Pre-Ramadhaan: Creating The Right Mindset

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

There are two basic requirements in order to benefit from and truly understand the Qur’an.
• Academic Requirements (knowledge of tafseer, Arabic, history etc)
• Pyschological/Spiritual requirements

The first is a lot easier to acquire than the second, one can study within a short period and acquire these requirements in order to understand the Qur’an.

For the second one; it’s a life-long struggle. It is understanding and reminding oneself each time of the reason & intention behind it.

The common reason or intention is “for Allah’s guidance”
This means we understand that every single day, every single moment in our lives we would be presented with choices,
- should I stay in bed or should I wake up?
-Should I look there or should I look down?
-Should I go there or should I stay back?
-Should I talk back or should I keep quiet?
-Should I earn this money this way or should I look for another means? and many more.
And we would have to make a choice.

So it means that we are hoping that Allah empowers us by the Qur’aan to make the right choices. That’s what it means to have the correct mindset and intention in order to understand the Qur’aan.

And it's a life-long struggle because its going to be a battle between relentless shaytaan, our Nafs and our desires. But when we become strong enough to make the right choices, to choose the right instead of wrong more often than not, according to the Qur’an, then it means we have truly established a good relationship with the Qur’an and are truly benefitting from it.

May Allah grant us the understanding of the Qur'aan and make us of those who's affairs are guided by it.

To be continued in sha Allah…

Pre-Ramadhaan: Introduction

Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaah wa Barakatuhu

I hope while reading this you are in a rising state of imaan and taqwa, may Allaah increase us all in khayr.

Alhamdulillaah, its yet another Ramadhaan soon in sha Allaah and we hope by virtue of this blessed Month to get closer to Allaah and gain His acceptance and Mercy.

By now we are all probably preparing to make the very best of this blessed month in sha Allah, and perhaps one of our goals would be to establish a better relationship with the Quran as well!

So In sha Allaah there'll be short daily reminders for myself and yourselves starting tomorrow, (pre-Ramadhaan) and through Ramadhaan till the end in sha Allah!

The reminders would be mainly from the Quraan and about the Quraan aimed towards helping us to improve our connection with the Quraan by internalizing the Divine message bi idhnillaah.
Also, I hope this serves to motivate us all to learn the Quran, understand it and implement it in our lives in sha Allaah.

It's from the little I had learned from an Ustadh and All good is from Allaah.

may Allaah open our hearts to guidance through the Quraan and make it a means through which we all get into Jannah. May we all be neighbors in Jannaah. Aameen